I know this is a very premature thread, since you can't very well predict until knowing the draw, qualification spots, but I'd thought it could be fun to have a pop at it now since I don't know what to do with myself between now and start of European Football. Assuming qualifying spots and interconfederation are the same. CONCACAF: Mexico, United States, Costa Rica, Guatemala CONMEBOL: Argentina, Colombia, Brazil, Ecuador, Chile CAF: Nigeria, Ghana, Algeria, Mali, Morocco AFC: Japan, South Korea, Iraq, Uzbekistan UEFA: Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, England, Serbia, Sweden, Iceland, Ukraine, Turkey, Wales
I'm confident that the US will qualify. Soccer enthusiasm is growing, and there is a big population to draw players from. And for the record, the day after the 2014 World Cup ended, the US beat Chile 2-1.
Who knows what the format will be but for CAF I would go: Nigeria, Ghana, Algeria, Senegal, Egypt / Cote d'Ivoire
The only team I'd call a guarantee for 2018 is Ghana because of its average age. Nigeria could also be one of them. Teams that will regress in 4 years are Cameroon (by a lot) and the Ivory Coast (not by much). Cameroon's best chance is to take advantage of their talented diaspora and find a coach who can bring the best out of them. Egypt is in a transition period so I'm not sure how serious they are as contenders. The majority of their starters are still slated to be older than 30. They have a few young talents like Salah and Trezeguet (Mahmoud Hassan). Tunisia will always be competitive but I'm not sure they have the players this time around. Morocco is intriguing. 14 coaches in 14 years has held them back. They should be much better but I feel like Morocco's low FIFA ranking, which won't get any better, will relegate them to having tough draws. Since Morocco doesn't have qualifiers for AFCON, they'll free-fall in the FIFA rankings for this year. They could see themselves in the same situation they found themselves in 2014 qualifying - in a group with the Ivory Coast. Senegal's good and should move up. Burkina Faso is iffy. They peaked in 2012/3. Mali and Zambia are also iffy because of their age. I don't know many good young players that play for them. DR Congo could be a darkhorse. I'm hoping a Southern or East African team qualifies this time around. Maybe Kenya, Ethiopia, or South Africa and Angola again.
I think that aside from Asia losing a spot or two to UEFA or CONMEBOL this World Cup has proven that things are fine the way they are. There is no reason for CONCACAF to get more spots the good performance has simply justified the spots they have. Look at UEFA they've won all but one World Cup since the 32 team format was introduced but yet they've lost two spots. Anyway here are my picks if everything stays the same which it should. CONCACAF United States, Mexico, Costa Rica, Honduras CONMEBOL Columbia, Uruguay, Chile, Argentina, Brazil CAF Ghana, Algeria, Egypt, Nigeria, Ivory Coast AFC Japan, Korea, Australia, Iran UEFA Germany, France, Belguim, England, Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Wales, Croatia, Iceland, Turkey, Scotland. Hosts Russia
Years to go, but Salah could be forced into exile due to the 1-year army service he would be required to take. And without him... well... Mali will be in a post-Seydou Keita era. Not sure if they can perform without him. He's been the player that kept the team together. Zambia is as always the best underrated squad, but they will have to enter a transitional phase soon with the Katongo brothers, Mulenga and Chansa all 30 or older. They are perennial darkhorses.
Concacaf USA ,Panama, Mexico, Costa Rica Asia South Korea , Japan , Australia Uzbekistan Caf Nigeria, Ghana, Egypt, Ivory Coast, Algeria Conmebol Argentina , Columbia , Brazil , Uruguay, Chile UEFA Germany , Belgium, France, Italy , Netherlands, Spain , Romania, Slovenia, Denmark, Sweden, Portugal, Croatia, England Host Russia Not sure about the play off situation so I put the max number of teams I could for each if someone told me who faces who in playoffs this up coming qualifying I'll adjust
South America Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador Europe Russia, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Belgium, France, England, Croatia, Turkey, Denmark, Ukraine, Serbia, Poland North America USA, Mexico, Costa Rica Asia Japan, South Korea, Australia, Uzbekistan, Iraq Africa Ghana, Egypt, Nigeria, Senegal, Burkina Faso
Ah screw it I'm bored so why not UEFA-Going back to 2002 (maybe 1998, I'm not sure), there's been on average 4 to 5 new teams from UEFA making it to the World Cup. 1. Germany 2. France 3. Belgium 4. Spain 5. Italy 6. Netherlands 7. England 8. Portugal 9. Russia 10. Serbia 11. Turkey 12. Switzerland 13. Ukraine 14. Denmark CONMEBOL-Usually 1-2 new teams. This time I think it'll be the same group minus Ecuador. 1. Brazil 2. Argentina 3. Colombia 4. Chile 5. Uruguay CAF-Since '98 there's an average of 4 new teams. This time I think there will only be 2 new teams. I think Ghana, Nigeria, and Algeria have good young teams that will be good enough to qualify again in 4 years. 1. Ghana 2. Nigeria 3. Algeria 4. Morocco 5. Senegal CONCACAF-Usually 1-2 new teams. 1. Mexico 2. United States 3. Honduras 4. Costa Rica if they get the playoff against the OFC. AFC-Usually just 1 new team 1. Japan 2. Australia 3. South Korea 4. Uzbekistan 5. Iraq if they get the playoff against the OFC
It usually switches. I think in '06 CONMEBOL faced OFC. Uruguay lost to Australia. CONCACAF faced AFC. Trinidad and Tobago defeated Bahrain. In 2010 AFC faced OFC. New Zealand defeated Bahrain. CONCACAF faced CONMEBOL. Costa Rica lost Uruguay. For 2014 CONMEBOL faced OFC. Uruguay beat Jordan. CONCACAF faced OFC. Mexico defeated New Zealand. So going by that pattern, CONMEBOL and CONCACAF will face each other in the playoff. OFC and AFC will play each other. If this is the case then I predict CONMEBOL and AFC will emerge victorious in the playoff battles.
Actually the intercontinental playoff was determined by random draw. This was at request of CONCACAF, who is usually 2nd strongest.
Going by what I have read, this was the first cycle with a random draw for the intercontinental playoff. Previously the matchups were set ahead. After 2010, CONCACAF asked for more spots. Request was denied. But CONCACAF had faced CONMEBOL in true prior cycle intercontinental playoff. That is pretty much going to be won by CONMEBOL no matter who they play, unless it's UEFA, so CONCACAF was granted the change to a random draw as a consolation to their request for a guaranteed 4th spot being denied. Which brings up that these half spots are sometimes largely political anyway. We all know in this cycle CONMEBOL 5th was really a lock, so CONMEBOL had 5 places. I suppose you could argue that if Mexico had not played so poorly in qualifying, then Honduras would have been the CONCACAF playoff team. Jordan and New Zealand may have been close to equal. Honduras may have been level with them. But it would have been a great upset had either of them beaten Mexico. That is why I favor UEFA 12.5, CONMEBOL 5.5 with these two having a playoff. CONCACAF 4 CAF 4.5 AFC/OFC 4.5 total with a change in qualifying there some how, either OFC champ plays in the AFC final round, or AFC changes it's final round structure to have a defined 5th without a playoff, and that team faces OFC. Then CAF and AFC/OFC playoff. Effectively this is only a change of half a spot from CAF and quarter each from AFC/OFC to CONMEBOL and CONCACAF. but in reality, aside from the UEFA/CONMEBOL playoff, this moves half a spot from CAF to CONCACAF and cuts the fractional spot for AFC/OFC to a quarter while giving a better playoff chance.
UEFA- 1. Germany 2. France 3. Belgium 4. Spain 5. Italy 6. Netherlands 7. England 8. Portugal 9. Russia 10. Serbia 11. Turkey 12. Switzerland 13. Ukraine 14.Sweden CONMEBOL 1. Brazil 2. Argentina 3. Colombia 4. Chile CAF 1. Ghana 2. Nigeria 3. Algeria 4. Morocco 5. Senegal CONCACAF 1. Mexico 2. United States 3. Honduras 4. Costa Rica AFC 1. Japan 2. Australia 3. South Korea 4. Uzbekistan 5. China Grondona die, good bye 5th Conmebol.
UEFA Russia, Germany, Portugal, Spain, France, Netherlands, Italy, England, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Scotland, Czech Republic, Ukraine CONMEBOL Uruguay, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Chile CONCACAF USA, Mexico, Costa Rica CAF Ghana, Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Côte d'Ivoire AFC Japan, Korea Republic, Australia, Iran, Oman
this is my prediction of a possible boycott of the tournament XD AFC -australia -north korea -iran -uzbekistan -jordan CONMEBOL -brazil -argentina -chile -uruguay -ecuador -venezuela CAF -nigeria -ghana -algeria -ivory coast -burkina faso CONCACAF -mexico -costa rica -honduras UEFA -russia (host) -slovenia -slovaquia -croatia -serbia -poland -wales -switzerland -czech republic -sweden -bosnia & herzegovina -denmark -turkey -austria
I won't think it will be a boycott. First, if Germany boycott the World Cup, FIFA will find a way to control de situation so the current champion could participate, this will lead to all european nations pro-boycott to fore fait this boycott. Secondly, the only possible team i can see boycotting this world cup is clearly the USA and Ukraine. (or i think FIFA will be very biased in their games to allow them to not qualify barring which could be prompting a true "football war" with them there, unfortunately, because they got a very good team). So reviewing my last post UEFA Russia, Germany, Portugal, Spain, France, Netherlands, Italy, England, Belgium, Croatia, Sweden, Scotland, Czech Republic, Ukraine (or Poland) CONMEBOL Uruguay, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Chile (or Paraguay) CONCACAF USA (Canada), Mexico, Costa Rica CAF Ghana, Egypt, Algeria, Cameroon, Cape Verde AFC Japan, Korea Republic, Australia, Iran, Oman
UEFA Russia, Germany, Portugal, Spain, France, Netherlands, Italy, England, Belgium, Croatia, Sweden, Denmark, Czech Republic, Poland/Bosnia CONMEBOL Uruguay, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Chile CONCACAF USA, Mexico, Costa Rica CAF Ghana, Egypt, Algeria, Cameroon, Ivory Cost AFC Japan, Korea Republic, Australia, Iran, Iraq
CAF - Nigeria, Ghana, Algeria, Senegal, Egypt AFC - Australia, Japan, South Korea, Iran, Iraq CONCACAF - United States, Mexico, Costa Rica CONMEBOL - Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay UEFA is too hard to predict, I just hope Croatia and Turkey make it.
No way the US would boycott the tournament unilaterally. Russia and the US aren't exactly cuddly, but we're a long long way from the Cold War.
I don't want the USA to boycott the World Cup. If boycotting the World Cup includes boycotting qualifiers and Gold Cup 2015 (since it contributes to qualifying for Confederations Cup 2017 in Russia), the USA won't have many meaningful games until 2019. The USA didn't boycott the Olympics in Sochi. I'd much rather the USA reach the Round of 16 for the third consecutive time.
Yeah, and Russia attended the 1994 World Cup in the United States, so the United States should attend in Russia.
Hosts: Russia UEFA: Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Portugal, France, Spain, Italy, England, Romania, Czech Republic, Croatia, Austria, Ukraine CAF: Algeria, Tunisia, Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria AFC: Japan, South Korea, Australia, Iraq, UAE CONCACAF: USA, Mexico, Costa Rica CONMEBOL: Argentina, Colombia, Brazil, Uruguay, Chile